NHL stars believe in cause

Sizzlin' Summer golf

NHL player Darren Helm takes a tee shot during the Sizzlin Summer Invitational fundraising golf tournament benefitting the Believe in Goal Foundation at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club north of Winnipeg, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (MARCEL CRETAIN/QMI Agency)

NHL player Dustin Boyd takes a tee shot during the Sizzlin Summer Invitational fundraising golf tournament benefitting the Believe in Goal Foundation at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club north of Winnipeg Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (MARCEL CRETAIN/QMI Agency)

NHL player Nigel Dawes practices a tee shot during the Sizzlin Summer Invitational fundraising golf tournament benefitting the Believe in Goal Foundation at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club north of Winnipeg Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (MARCEL CRETAIN/QMI Agency)

NHL player Nigel Dawes watches his tee shot during the Sizzlin Summer Invitational golf tournament benefitting the Believe in Goal Foundation at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club north of Winnipeg Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (MARCEL CRETAIN/QMI Agency)

NHL player Nigel Dawes hangs out with Believe in the Goal President Colleen Deckert at the Sizzlin Summer Invitational golf tournament benefitting the Believe in Goal Foundation at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club north of Winnipeg Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. (MARCEL CRETAIN/QMI Agency)

They have enjoyed plenty of success in their pro careers, but not even sipping champagne from a Stanley Cup nor million-dollar contracts will keep them from supporting this cause.

Manitoba-born NHLers and others who played here have returned to Winnipeg from all over North America to participate in the Believe in the Goal Foundation's fifth annual SuperStar Summer Showdown to be held at the MTS Centre on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The game, which involves such NHL stars as Minnesota's Cam Barker, Philadelphia's Mike Richards of Kenora and Nashville's Jordin Tootoo, was started by Todd Davison in 2006 to raise funds for cancer before he was felled by the dreaded disease himself. Chicago's Jonathan Toews will also be on hand for autographs but may be prevented from playing because he is rehabbing a knee injury.

"It keeps getting bigger and better and hopefully, we'll have a big crowd out (Thursday)," Washington forward Eric Fehr said after a spirited skate at the Winnipeg Winter Club on Wednesday morning. "I played against Todd in the Western Hockey League. I played against him for a couple of years and . he was always a real fierce competitor and was well-respected."

So well-respected that the NHLers keep coming back year after year.

"It's the fact that he was a hockey player," Fehr said. "He was one of us and he went down fighting, and we really want to help him out. His dream was to have the game and we want to be here for him and we want to help his dream go on."

The game, the annual golf tournament and other events have raised almost $250,000 for the Foundation's cause to date.

"It's for a great cause and it seems to get a little bit bigger and better every year," Nigel Dawes, an NHL free agent, said before Wednesday's golf tourney at Bel Acres. "Hopefully, this will be the biggest one yet and I'm looking forward to playing in it.

"This is my fifth one and I remember playing against Todd . It was a real honour when he first asked me to come out and play with him. And it's a real positive experience for all of us."